Royal Pain
by Rayla West
Summary: Gin is kidnapped and held hostage during the war between the Kingdom of Hueco Mundo and the Empire of Seireitei. King Aizen isn't pleased, but his hands are tied down with his duties and the war. It's up to Grimmjow to rescue the Queen and regain his honour, to become an Espada officer once again. But an unexpected romance takes place. YAOI! AiGin and GrimGin.
1. A Fun Night Out

**8east: **Yes, I'm a shipping whore. I don't even watch Bleach- but read the wikipedia articles. I LOVE the reasoning behind this pairing, there's so much complicated bullshit but it's lovable all the same.

If you watch Homestuck, it's like ALL the quadrants mixed together; they're somewhat moirails, totally kismesis' and bordering on matespiritship. And well due to the lack of an auspistice, Aizen ended up killing Gin. Erk.

And I decided to base this on the Royalty AU, since I don't watch Bleach and all. I'll try my best to add the elements from the manga to this story, so rest assured. Do tell me if I'm making them OOC or the facts are wrong.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or it's characters.**

* * *

**Royal Pain  
**_Yet another fanfiction by 8east, who should be working on her OTHER fics._

* * *

It was just another day at Las Noches Castle.

Gin hummed as he dipped his fingers into the pond- stretching his long and slim legs out in front of him, enjoying the way the water rippled and bumped against each other. It was a peaceful day. With his husband gone for a ride in the kingdom to check on the towns' affairs, he had the afternoon to himself.

His best friend, Rangiku, was probably painting in her room back at her townhouse in Seireitei. She had taken a liking to the hobby recently. After all, it supplied her with something to do- as the Queen of Hueco Mundo; he was obliged to carry out the duties of a royal alongside King Aizen, and he was not able to accompany her as often as he used to.

Not to mention how difficult it was to sneak out of the Kingdom to visit her. Their Kingdoms were enemies, after all.

"Your Majesty." A cool voice said, jolting the Queen out of his thoughts. Looking to his right, he saw Ulquiorra Cifer, one of his husband's top _Espadas_, the titles given to his elite fighters in the army.

"Ya want somethin'?" Gin asked, smiling wryly as usual.

The Espada nodded slightly. "The King has ordered me to deliver a message to you. He will be away on an urgent mission- the soldiers of Seireitei have attacked our Southern border, and His Majesty has decided to personally handle the matter."

Raising his eyebrows, the silver-haired man withdrew his hands from the water, wiping them dry on his expensive kimono that Aizen insisted him wear. "Hm, tha' strange. He usually leaves it fer ya and the others."

Ulquiorra stared emotionlessly back at him, but then nodded slightly, his eyes portraying a certain amount of unease.

"That is true. However, it is His Majesty's wish. And as Seireitei's advances have become progressively bolder throughout the months, it only makes sense that His Majesty wishes to put an end to it."

Gin hummed and shrugged. "Alright, I got ya. Thanks fer lettin' me know." He dismissed the Espada with a nod of his head.

The man left, leaving Gin to his own devices once more.

"Gettin' kinda borin' here…" The Queen mumbled to himself. Well, since Aizen wouldn't be returning that night, he could use that time to go explore the town. It had been some time since he had seen the bustling streets of Hueco Mundo at night.

He smiled to himself. It was decided then. Pushing himself off the ground, Gin headed towards him room to prepare for a night out.

* * *

He assessed the situation.

They'd need some more reinforcements over by _that_ gate, and then medics to the central camp, and _then_ there was-

"Hah! I'd like to see you try, weakling!"

"You little hussy–"

Aizen sighed. This was torture. He would have to make it up to his _wife_ when he returned- he had planned on bringing Gin out for dinner after his rounds.

But the King had his duties. He just wished that sometimes his Espadas helped _solve_ his problems instead of multiplying them.

"That's enough," Aizen said, eying both Luppi and Szayel. "Both of you are excused from this meeting. I don't want to see your faces until morning."

Luppi looked scandalised. "But Aizen-sama!"

The latter held up his hand, heaving a slight sigh. "Leave. That's an order." He said, the steel in his voice evident. Immediately, the other Espadas in the meeting room (tent) straightened up, sensing their King's irritation.

Szayel scowled and pushed the flap to the side as he exited, glaring daggers at Luppi. The sixth Espada returned the favour, sneering at the pink-haired man.

Aizen closed his eyes, picking up his cup of Chamomile tea and taking a sip. He set the utensil down and cleared his throat.

"Let's get back to the meeting."

* * *

The streets of Hueco Mundo were buzzing with activity. Children dodged the wheel-carts and stalls, playing tag, while the grown-ups gossiped with each other as they made their purchases. Different scents protruded Gin's nostrils as he took a deep breath, tucking his hands under the sleeves of his kimono.

It was a less elaborate one than those he usually wore – a light sky-blue with a light-green patterned belt – but it was a smart move on his part. He was trying to be a subtle as possible- without the King or his guards with him; Gin did not feel the need to attract any attention to his person. After all, a Queen was entitled to his own private time.

Anyway, he would have to return before midnight. It was usually when Kira came to check on him, and he would probably blow a blood vessel if he found the Queen missing.

He admired beauty of it all, a more relaxed version of his usual smile appearing on his pink lips. The best time to go shopping in Hueco Mundo's town was at night- when the sun had already set and the temperature was just right.

Manoeuvring his way through the crowd, he approached a food stand. It sold fresh fruit of all kinds- apples, oranges, pineapples, bananas, watermelons… and they all looked delicious.

Gin took out his wallet and eyed the persimmons.

"How much yer sellin' those fer?" The silver-haired man asked, turning to the attendant. She smiled at him shyly. "They're ten kan each, sir." She replied.

"I'll take two." He said, handing over the money. Nodding, she kept the money in the pocket of her apron and placed the fruit in a brown paper bag, handing it over to Gin.

Taking his purchase, he gave her his atypical smile and continued walking through the crowd.

As he neared the edge of the street, he saw a stage-show taking place. Humming, Gin approached the crowd and observed. Apparently, it was a romance story of sorts. The actors were dazzling, their voices carried out through the crowd clearly. The props were well-made as well, Gin noted. This was a good amount of effort put in for just a street stage act.

Whatever it was, it caught his attention alright.

He stood at the left side of the crowd, and didn't see the wheelbarrow rolling downhill from his right, intrigued by the play.

Just as the male-lead finished speaking, the Queen felt a heavy load bash into his right hip, knocking him to the floor. The people around him scattered, surprised.

"Ow… tha' freakin' hurt…" Gin winced, rubbing his sore hip. He was sprawled on the floor on his ass, feeling rather undignified. A few people made to help him up, but then a loud and boisterous voice called out.

"OI! What's going on here?!" Gin recognised that voice- it was Grimmjow, another member of his husband's Espada force.

Well, ex-member anyway. Grimmjow would have to retake the trials if he wanted to regain his rank- he had been outshone by Luppi, the current sixth Espada, who took his title from him.

It was a pity, really. Grimmjow was one of his favourite people to tease. Luppi was alright, but he possessed several qualities that were similar to his, so he was somewhat predictable.

... And Aizen had always been harsh in terms of 'survival'. The best stayed, and the losers were thrown out; that had been the way of the Espada Rankings for as long as he could remember.

As Grimmjow berated the wheelbarrow owner, Gin took the chance to slip away. It wouldn't do any good if he was found out now…

Sneaking into a dark alley, it was only then that he realised that he'd left his bag of fruit on the floor when he fell.

"Aw, darn it." He huffed under his breath.

Just then, a hand came out of the darkness, pressing a piece of cloth onto his mouth and nose. He flinched, and struggled, his hand reaching for the dagger he kept in his kimono pocket- but the assaulter was too fast.

"Stop moving. Close your eyes…" The voice (clearly a man's) said in his ear, gripping Gin's hands in his as the cloth fell to the floor.

The last thing the Queen remembered was feeling this odd sense of numbness as he fell into a pair of strong arms, holding him tight.

"Sleep well, Your Majesty." The man said.

And he did.


	2. My Wife Is Missing

**8east: **I really hope you enjoy this chapter, it's when the fun begins! Do give me feedback on whether or not I'm making them OOC or I got any facts wrong, because like I said- **I don't watch or read Bleach**. I'm just putting down what I've learned from the Bleach Wikipedia and Gin's Arrancar encyclopedia.

And sorry if my writing style is kinda sloppy, I'm no J.K. Rowling after all. But I just wanna get this plot through all your heads.

* * *

**Royal Pain  
**_Chapter Two._

* * *

_Just another morning at Las Noches_, Kira Izuru thought, as he approached the Queen's room with a silver tray in his hands. A freshly ironed kimono and a pair of clean socks were upon it.

Stopping in front of the elegant ivory double-doors, Kira knocked. "Your Majesty, I brought you fresh clothes!" The blonde waited for an answer.

There was none.

Kira blinked confusedly. Could Gin still be asleep? It was rather unusual though− the silver-haired monarch was always awake before he arrived, not to mention it was almost noon.

"Your Majesty! Are you in there?" Kira began to continuously knock on the door. Nothing, not even the slightest noise from within… Hm, maybe he was in King Aizen's room.

Just to be sure, Kira opened the doors slowly. Sure enough, there wasn't anyone inside, and the bed was completely untouched. Sighing, Kira shut the doors and walked across the hallway to the King's room.

It was eerily quiet in the hallway, the servant noticed. Maybe that was because the King himself was away, but then again, shouldn't there have been a few guards at least?

Getting tired of waiting, Kira impatiently knocked on the doors. "Your Majesty, I've brought you your clothes!"

No reply.

Switching the tray to his other hand, he sighed in frustration. Was this another one of Gin's pranks? It wasn't a really good time, though. The King was probably on his way back, and he was supposed to bring the Queen down to the dining room for lunch with his husband.

"Alright, that's it! I'm going in there, make sure you're decent!" Kira hollered, shoving the doors open. His eyes widened at the sight; the bed was untouched, just like before. He knew it wasn't made by anyone other than the servants− the sheets were pressed and tucked away professionally, in a way that only the bedchamber maids were taught.

_So where was the Queen_? Kira bit his lip and furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn't seen Gin since yesterday evening, after serving the latter his dinner in the gazebo. Maybe he fell asleep in the garden?

Well, it was worth a try.

Shutting the doors behind him, Kira took the tray with both hands and began walking at brisk pace towards the main hall. Turning sharply around the corner, he crashed straight into someone.

Wincing as he felt the soreness in his elbow and nose, he dropped the tray, causing it to fall to the floor with a crash, its contents landing a few feet away. He looked up at the person who had blocked his path, readying his glare.

… It was King Aizen, along with the rest of the Espada force behind him.

He gasped, falling into a respectful bow. "Your Majesty! I'm so sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going and−"

"It's alright, Kira. Aren't those Gin's clothes?" The brunet pointed to the kimono strewn on the floor and felt inwardly pleased when he saw it was the crimson rose-patterned one he had gifted Gin with for their first year anniversary.

Oh yes, he remembered these things. How could he not? With the way it clashed with Gin's pale colours, making the Queen's skin appear more vibrant… That sight was something he wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

"Uh, well… I've been looking for him, sir! Gin-sama isn't in his room!" The blonde reported, gathering the scattered items in his arms, ignoring the snicker from Nnoitra.

Aizen blinked. "Well then, where were you headed off to?" He asked. Kira scratched his head with his free hand, feeling uncomfortable with the King _and_ the rest of the Espada eying him.

"He had dinner in the gazebo yesterday, Aizen-sama. That was when I last saw him." The blonde explained. Aizen nodded and turned to his Espadas. "You're all dismissed. We'll have another meeting in ten hours. Please don't be late."

His generals dispersed amongst themselves, satisfied with their recent battle with Seireitei− _and_ their victory. Of course, with the King himself there and their elite fighters, it didn't take more than one night to get rid of that section of Seireitei's army.

It was easy. _A little too easy. _Aizen was suspicious, but he would discuss that with his Queen later. Right now, he just wanted to curl up in bed with his wife and sleep the hours away before his next meeting with the Espada.

They could be a handful sometimes, and he needed Gin's soothing presence. Aizen smirked inwardly, as he was probably the only person who found Gin's leering smile _soothing_.

"You may return to your duties, Kira. I'll find Gin myself." The King said, giving the blonde servant a smile. "You're his secretary, after all. I'm sure you have other tasks to carry out." Kira bowed gratefully to his King and scurried off.

Left alone, Aizen headed for the garden.

Well, he was here. There was nothing.

_Nothing. _

The gazebo was empty, including the rest of the garden. There was no sign of Gin, and Aizen was beginning to get slightly irked. Was this a little game his darling Queen wanted to play? Unfortunately he wasn't in the mood for games at the moment.

All he wanted was rest. _With_ his Queen.

Shaking his head, he let out a sigh. He had no choice but to track down Gin's presence using spiritual means… The brunet closed his eyes and focused. He could feel all the different auras and souls of the people within Las Noches, and rapidly scanned through them all.

Gin's presence was like smoke- you couldn't really feel him clearly, but he was there. It was a strange and alluring feeling, how Aizen had first been attracted to the silver-haired man. And from then on, Aizen _always _managed to track him down.

But this time…

The King's eyes snapped open, a slight chill running down his spine. Gin's presence wasn't here in Las Noches. That meant his Queen was beyond the castle's boundaries, possibly in the village. What would his silver-haired fox be doing down there? Was he planning something again?

Furrowing his brow, Aizen expanded his range throughout the whole country of Hueco Mundo. This wasn't challenging, per se, but it required a great deal of energy and concentration. Gin had better have a good explanation for this−

…

Gin's presence was nowhere to be found. The King kept his face emotionless, flash-stepping towards the main building. He rushed into the hallway and headed for his throne room.

Then he approached the grand steel doors (engraved with two angels and a harp with flowers along the borders) and swung them fully open with just one push, despite how heavy they were.

On the leveled ground at the end of the room, sat two grand and elaborate thrones, both decorated with black leather and ivory carvings of Celtic design. The place itself had white marble flooring polished to shine, and extremely tall glass windows with silver rims that stood in equal distance apart from each other towards each end.

Behind the two thrones, was the largest window, with the pattern of a lion tinted onto the pieces of crystals that made window altogether as a whole.

Unfortunately, the King had no time to admire his taste in interior decoration. Immediately seating himself upon his throne, he spoke.

"_The Queen is missing_."

His voice echoed around the whole castle. The servants ceased activity, hushed whispers breaking out at the announcement. The steel in Aizen's voice was evident- it made Szayel shudder and blush, dropping the vials of liquids he had been making and experimenting on in his lab.

Halibel silenced Mila Rose with a raise of her hand, turning to focusing on what the King would say next. There was a slight pause before Aizen spoke again.

"_His presence is no longer in Hueco Mundo. I want reports on when and where he was last seen, and for all personnel to keep an eye out for the Queen. Espadas are to gather in the throne room immediately_."

Ulquiorra immediately stood, placing down his book.

Aaro and Niero squabbled (amongst himself?) as they both headed down the hallway, passing by Zommari, Stark and Lilynette.

Nnoitra 'che'-ed as he kicked his luggage aside, cursing Aizen inwardly. "I haven't even unpacked!" He grunted, but exited his room and stomped his way to where the King waited, regardless.

The rest of the Espada _obediently_ followed, not a single one dawdled.

Though they wanted to rest after a full-night of killing and fighting, they recognized that _slight_ change in their Lord's voice. _It_ was angry. _King Aizen_ was _angry_.

There was nothing to do but obey.

Opening his eyes, Gin cringed at the bright sunlight, narrowing them back into slits. What the hell happened? He had been enjoying himself in the town when…

He remembered walking into an alley… then nothing. Gin's senses sharpened instinctively as he realized the foreign environment he was in, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. Struggling to sit up, he felt something heavy on his stomach.

The Queen blinked.

"Grimmjow?" He whispered, eying the ex-Espada's body. The blue-haired man was asleep (or possibly knocked out), his head lying on Gin's stomach.

"Ah, you're awake."

Gin turned his head forwards to the direction of the voice. A tall and lean figure stood by a door, rays of light pouring in. Gin couldn't proper discern the man's features. And so it was day time. The floor felt somewhat soft and prickly.

Grass…? "Who're ya? Is this some kinda joke?" Gin said, slipping on his wry smile. The figure chuckled, and Gin felt the figure (obviously a man, from the deep voice) eye his body up and down.

He shivered, but kept his lips pressed together.

"You really are as beautiful as they say… It's a shame I'm not allowed to touch you, really."

"Wha'?" Gin tilted his head, confused. The figure sighed, and crossed his arms. "You're being held against your will, Queen. At least, until our demands are met… So don't try anything funny."

The silver-haired man hummed, not intimidated in the least. "So why'd ya take Grimmy too?" He asked, nudging his head in the direction of the other man.

"Well, he saw us and tried to save you. And he wouldn't let go of your body. Pretty stubborn, that guy. Since he was so hell-bent on holding on to you, we figured we take him along too, so you'd have someone to keep you company."

Gin's eyes widened by a small fraction, not really believing what the figure had said. Grimmjow, doing that for him… It was ironic, really, considering the amount of times Gin had pranked the man, leading to embarrassment and awkward moments.

"What makes ya think I'm not gonna be able ta escape?" The Queen challenged haughtily. "Just 'cuz I'm ta Queen doesn't make me a wuss, ya know?"

The figure merely laughed.

"There's no way outta this thing for now, _Majesty_… trust me on that one. You're going to be called upon soon so try to make yourself _presentable_, yeah?"

And the door slammed shut, leaving Gin and Grimmjow in semi-darkness.

Presentable, huh? Gin stared down at his clothes; apparently his obi had loosened, exposing most of his chest and legs. He flushed slightly. _Oh_.

Straightening his attire, he began to poke Grimmjow's face. The latter merely wrinkled his nose and turned, hugging Gin's slim leg.

The Queen raised an eyebrow. Usually he would have taken a picture to show Aizen and get Grimmjow into trouble, but… "Hey, wake up, ya idiot!" He pinched the bluenet's nose roughly, not really in the mood for such things. Sure enough, after a few seconds, Grimmjow gasped as his eyes snapped open.

He eyed his surroundings confusedly and turned to Gin. "Queen-sama? What…? … Aw _shit_, they took us! _Fucking hell_!"

Yeah, he was awake alright. And Gin had _a lot_ to ask.


	3. Why Do You Think I'm Queen?

**8east: **It's almost midnight, and these chapters are getting progressively longer. Alright, there ain't much yaoi in this one, but it's mainly about the sheer awesomeness and raw power of Queen Ichimaru Gin.

Do give me feedback on what you like or what you don't. And thank you Misc. Ink, sairakanzaki and that anon dude for the reviews. It means a lot to me, and I'm glad you enjoy it. The world needs more of these pairings, yeah?

* * *

**Royal Pain  
**_Chapter Three._

* * *

"Report, Ulquiorra."

The dark-haired Espada bowed his head respectfully as he stood, motioning at the map of Hueco Mundo that Tousen had programmed into the projector.

"Ichimaru-sama was last seen around this area," He pointed at the end of _Arran Avenue_. "A street act was taking place, and we have witnesses confirming the appearance of a '_tall, silver-haired man with his eyes _closed' according to some of the spectators."

Aizen nodded− his face devoid of any emotion. Ulquiorra took this as a sign to continue.

"Then, I received a particularly odd piece of information. His Majesty Ichimaru had been knocked down by a stray wheelbarrow from the other end of the road. The appearance of a blue-haired, muscular man distracted most of the people from His Majesty."

"Apparently, the man was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." At this, Luppi straightened and smirked. Aizen raised an eyebrow, not expecting this change of events. "He was settling the incident with the wheelbarrow owner−"

The moment those words left Ulquiorra's lips, Luppi broke into a fit of giggles. "An ex-Espada demoted to a simple patrolman! That's precious!" He said, his words filled with glee and his face the epitome of smugness.

"Quiet, Luppi." Halibel muttered, her sharp blue eyes trained on the sixth Espada. The latter merely returned her glance with an arrogant huff, turning his head to the side.

"… As I was saying, Jaegerjaquez-san was talking with the wheelbarrow owner when he suddenly ran towards an alley nearby. Sounds of a scuffle were reported, but by the time more officers reached the scene, both His Majesty and Jaegerjaquez-san were gone. And that concludes my report."

Ulquiorra sat back down, and the projector shut off with a flick of Tousen's finger.

"Well that didn't help much." Stark said, his eyes droopy with sleep. Lilynette rolled her eyes at his sluggish behavior. Ulquiorra bowed apologetically to Aizen. "I'm sorry for the lack of decisive information, Aizen-sama. It was all I could gather."

The King merely stood, giving his generals a smile. "You're all dismissed. Thank you for your hard work… I'll be seeing to the rest of this myself."

"Eh? What're you going to do, my King?" Szayel asked, his eyebrows raised.

"I'm going down the where my Queen had disappeared, of course. There may be more clues as to _who_ has taken him." Everyone sensed the malice as their King muttered 'who'.

The people responsible for taking Ichimaru Gin from the God of Hueco Mundo would pay dearly.

"Allow me to accompany you, Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra said, rising from his seat, a determined look in his eyes. Halibel followed, along with Rureaux.

Aizen gave the three of them a smile. "That would be beneficial. Thank you." The King said, giving them a nod of acknowledgment to their loyalty. "The rest of you may rest."

Then he left, three of his Espada faithfully trailing behind him as they left the throne room.

"Foolish dogs!" Nnoitra said with an ugly leer on his face. "I'm gonna go take a nap!" He stood, towering over the other Espadas (everyone was getting up to leave) and stomped out of the room.

"Couldn't agree more with that." Stark said, yawning again.

Lilynette pinched his arm.

* * *

"So, wha' happened?" Gin said, hugging his knees to his chest, tilting his head curiously with his usual smile on his face. Grimmjow looked to the side and scratched his head. "Well… those guys were gonna… ya know…"

Gin raised his eyebrows. "Were they goin' ta rape me or somethin'?" He asked bluntly.

Immediately (just as the silver-haired man predicted), Grimmjow scrambled backwards, his face flushed a healthy red. Laughing softly, Gin leaned back and got ready for the outburst…

"WHAT?! NO, YOU SICK FUCK! HOW COULD YA JUST _SAY_ IT LIKE THAT−"

Gin hushed the blue-haired man by slapping his palm onto the other's lips. "Hahaha, ya haven't changed a bit, have ya, Grimmy?" He said, grinning widely, pearly whites shown.

Narrowing his eyes, Grimmjow roughly shoved the Queen away from him, causing Gin to fall back onto the grass. "Oomph. Do ya always have ta be so violent?" Gin whined, pouting. The ex-Espada growled and poked Gin's leg. "You're the one who's always getting on my nerves!"

"Is tha' any way ta talk to yer Queen?" Gin continued to provoke him, enjoying himself. Rangiku always told him how he had a sick sense of humor. It was very true, in a way.

"…" Oh hey, it actually worked. Gin stared as Grimmjow became tense, his head lowering _ever so slightly_, almost unnoticeable. "W-whatever." Grimmjow muttered.

Ah, well it might've been hoping too much for an apology.

"S'okay, Grimmy. Hn, wha' d'you think these ruffians want wit' us?" Gin asked, rolling onto his side, stretching his legs on Grimmjow's lap. The latter's eyebrow twitched, but he ignored it for the moment.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with the war. Maybe they're gonna keep you hostage or some shit." Gin's eyebrows raised, the smirk disappearing from his face. Did Grimmjow actually suggest something reasonable? As if on cue, the blue-haired man snarled. "Just because I've got a temper doesn't mean I'm dumb!"

Stifling a laugh, the Queen opened his eyes slightly. Grimmjow swallowed as he felt those turquoise orbs boring into his own sky-blue ones.

"You could be right," Gin's voice was cold, losing his accent completely. "But if it were to come to that… I don't think we would just sit around and take it, _ne_?"

The other man could only nod, his tongue paralyzed from shock. Ulquiorra had always (silently) warned him not to anger their Queen.

Now he could see why.

"Now, Grimmy…" Gin leaned closer to the ex-Espada, a cold and snowy-white hand caressing his cheek. "If it were to come to that, I would want you to kill me."

… What?

"_Are you crazy_?!" Grimmjow managed to bring his voice back to life, but he could only croak hoarsely at the Queen's incredulous proclamation. "Me, kill _you_?! King Aizen would− man, I don't even wanna think about that!"

Gin's eyes snapped shut, his usual grin slipping back onto his lips. "Aha, sorry, tha' came out kinda wrong. I meant if it were ta come down to us losing the war 'cuz of me…"

The Queen leaned in ever closer and whispered into Grimmjow's ear.

"You know what to do."

A knock on the door startled Grimmjow out of his stunned status and he scrambled to his feet. Gin was more composed, placing a hand onto the grass as he pushed himself off the floor swiftly.

"Tha's funny… Knockin' on th' doors ta their own prisoners." The silver-haired man said, a little snicker escaping his mouth.

This time, it was two men who walked in, one gripping Grimmjow by the shoulders and the other clasping his hands on Gin's arms. They shoved both prisoners out of the shack (so _that's_ what it was) and out into the sun.

Grimmjow winced as the bright sunlight hit his eyes, knowing from the grimace beside him that Gin shared his current hatred for that ball of heat. "What's this about?" He demanded, glaring weakly at the man who shoved him so roughly.

Didn't they know who they were dealing with? He could crush them with one attack- he _had_ been a general amongst the ranks of the Espada, after all! Feeling the man shove him again, he snarled and turned around instantly to face his handler−

"Nu-uh, Grimmy, don't yer even try it." Gin said playfully, as if singing a melody. Grimmjow turned his harsh gaze to the Queen. "What?! I could kill him so easily!"

"Check yer ankle, genius." Gin said, sounding exasperated (for him). The blue-haired man blinked, and gazed down at his right foot. Around his ankle was a copper anklet. It had something engraved on it, and looked slightly familiar…

"It's ta energy-sealin' kinda lock. Ya can't fight shit if yer ain't got any energy, so I've heard." The Queen said, a sigh escaping his lips. "Too bad, but fer now, we jus' gotta see wha' these guys want."

The two men gripping them narrowed their eyes at Gin. "Don't be arrogant, you filthy monarch! You'll be down on your knees, begging for mercy when you find out who we're selling you to!"

Grimmjow blinked. Gin grinned. "So, yer sellin' us fer money, aren't ya?"

Refusing to say another word, the two men dragged them towards a wooden mansion a few minutes away from the shack, and tossed them onto the ground right in front of the inner hall, where more men came to _escort_ them.

"Why didn't they just put us here in the first place? Troublesome…" Grimmjow muttered.

Gin on the other hand, was silent. "I don't think tha' ta kidnappers own this place, Grimmy… I think I know where we are. It's not ta best place ta be tho'." He trailed off, as they halted along with the men who held them.

They had stopped in front of a door. Gin could make out many figures behind the paper-screen door, and they were all sitting still, unmoving and quiet. Statues, perhaps?

One of them raised his fist, and knocked on the door. "We've brought them, sir!"

"Good, send them in." It was the figure from earlier, Grimmjow recognized that voice. The doors slid open and the blue-haired man was unceremoniously shoved into the room, landing on the _tatami_ mat with an 'oomph!'.

Gin merely walked in, his wry smile in place. There were several gasps throughout the room, amongst the occupants. And who were the occupants, you might ask?

"What the hell is the _Queen of Hueco Mundo_ doing on Seireitei territory?!" Byakuya Kuchiki demanded his eyes wide and filled with disbelief.

Inwardly, Gin praised himself for somewhat recognizing the place despite the amount of time that had passed since his last visit. Back when he and Rangiku were kids, they have loved exploring the lands of Seireitei under the cover of darkness. Probably broke into this mansion long ago. Gin smiled to himself, fond of reliving such pleasant memories.

"Well if it ain't ta Gotei Thirteen…" Gin said, his hands folded in front of him, his posture straight. It showed pride and confidence, and Grimmjow couldn't help but wonder how the Queen managed to gain a backbone even when faced with such overwhelming odds.

It was the entire fucking elite force of the Seireitei Empire. Even _Grimmjow_ knew he wouldn't stand a chance with all of those captains coming at him at once.

"What's the meaning of this, Adjuchas Clan?! You said you were bringing in a weapon to defeat the Kingdom of Hueco Mundo!" Sui-Feng demanded, narrowing her sharp eyes at the man – the leader of the Adjuchas Clan – and clenching her fists.

The aforementioned shrugged, a leer on his lips. He had jet-black hair that reached his mid-back, and eyes of amber, the irises pointed. He had no ears, and a long, pointed nose. Not to mention those teeth, all pointed and gleaming white.

Grimmjow _knew_ this guy. "Aren't you part of Aizen-sama's army?!" He demanded. "Is this how you repay your lord, you _SCUM_!"

"I'm no _scum_," The man seemed to flare with anger at Grimmjow's statement. "My _name_ is Varoderra. I no longer serve Aizen." The use of his husbands name without any suffix made Gin's lips turn downwards in disdain.

He could take _a lot_ of things… but the utter disrespect from this lower being wasn't one of them.

"You. Shut yer mouth and get on wit' it." The Queen hissed, his eyes opening ever so slightly, piercing Varoderra with his cold glare.

The Adjuchas pressed his lips firmly together. This man… was _something else_. He was Queen of Hueco Mundo for a reason, and now he knew what it was. Sheer will, force and intimidation, backed by a sharp mind and animalistic instincts… Not to mention that sadistic nature that made his skin crawl. And as much as Varoderra despised the King, he could respect his taste in wives.

This one was a rare find.

He turned towards the oldest and strongest of the captains, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. He was a man with great presence and power. Varoderra had to be careful if he wanted to pass a deal with this one…

"You're not thinking hard enough, _my dear_," He leered at Sui-Feng, who glared even more ferociously at the man. "_Think about it_. You have here, King Sousuke Aizen's most prized possession− _the goddamned Queen of Hueco Mundo, his wife_. You could use him to demand _anything_ from Aizen!"

At this statement, Sui-Feng stilled. Shunsui looked up at Varoderra, as cool as ever. "But with him comes a price…"

"_Correct_, my dear man." Varoderra said. "So would you accept my offer? I want nothing more than a few sacks of _Kan_… leaving Hueco Mundo has forced my clan into harsher living conditions… but at least now we have freedom… something your husband was never generous with." He muttered darkly, turning to Gin.

To everyone's surprise, Gin tilted his head back and burst into laughter. It was a loud, bright and earnest kind of laughter, and even Grimmjow was surprised. Usually the way Gin laughed was cold and taunting… this was definitely new.

"Ya amuse me! Yer just sittin' there talkin' 'bout me like I'm not here! What makes ya think that my King would comply to yer demands? To lose a whole war just fer me?!" And Gin continued to laugh, little tears of amusement appearing at the edges of his silver lashes.

Captain Ukitake blinked. "Isn't he your husband?"

"True tha', but he's also ta King. He can't put me before ta goals of ta Kingdom, _silly_! And Varoderra," Gin turned towards the Adjuchas once more, ceasing his laughter immediately. "Don't underestimate ta Queen, why do ya think he _married _me?"

Grimmjow grunted, sitting up. "He's right. So just let us go before Aizen-sama finds out and destroys your whole fucking Empire for the heck of it."

"Oh? What makes you think he would be capable of doing that?" Hitsugaya challenged, narrowing his eyes even more than they already were.

"You don't know half of it." Grimmjow replied, smirking… at least, until Gin smacked his head, causing him to crash head-first into the floor once again.

"_WHAT THE HELLMMPHH−_" The ex-Espada's voice was muffled as the silver-haired man pressed his foot against the base of Grimmjow's neck.

"Ya don't believe 'im? Well then, go ahead and try yer luck, kid." He said, staring straight at Hitsugaya, his voice colder than the freezing snow the captain could conjure.

"What?!" Komamura barked, staring at Gin in bewilderment. "Are you _selling_ yourself to the enemy due to one small insult thrown at your Lord?"

Gin shook his head, elegant as ever, his calm state of mind giving him the ability to read into his opponent's nervous twitches and habits. It was something he enjoyed, as someone with a _sick sense of humor_. He knew Aizen was right when he said it'd come in useful someday.

"I ain't sellin' myself. I just need ta prove to ya'll," The Queen fixed that infuriating smile back on his face.

"_How wrong ya'll are… and to show you yer place._"


End file.
